


Stray

by StatueOfLuberty



Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: Additional Characters, Attempted Kidnapping, M/M, runaways - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 01:33:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8777881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StatueOfLuberty/pseuds/StatueOfLuberty
Summary: His heart starts racing. How the hell did Helen let him get past her? How could she trust him? Then he sees the badge hanging from his neck. He's a fucking FBI agent.





	

It's the middle of the night when Lukas wakes up. Something's wrong. Something's  _really_ wrong. He's moving down the hallway in a hospital, but he's not walking. He thinks he's in a wheelchair. He looks around and finds a familiar man behind him, pushing the wheelchair along. He opens his mouth to ask what he's doing when it hits him.

_The man from the cabin._

His heart starts racing. How the hell did Helen let him get past her? How could she trust him? Then he sees the badge hanging from his neck.  _He's a fucking FBI agent._ No wonder he figured out who Lukas was; he has access to that information. God, he's probably working on the case. How is Lukas supposed to get away from him? There's still some pain medication running through his veins. The corners of his vision are blurry. He feels like he's not even in his own body. He can't defend himself.

"Say anything, and you're not the only one dying tonight," the man mutters.

They get to the elevator without any nurses stopping them. They manage to get to the garage without stopping on any other floor. As they leave the elevator, Lukas spots Philip in his peripheral vision. Philip goes to move towards them, but a glance from Lukas makes him stop. Philip wants to step in, but he doesn't know what to do. Then, he spots it. A pipe. The hospital's repairing a part of the garage, and they just have pipes lying around. One's small enough that he can pick up. He tiptoes over to the man from the cabin and Lukas, swinging as hard as he can. The man goes down, unconscious, and Philip grabs the wheelchair, pushing and running as fast as he can. He doesn't stop until they're far enough away. He then takes his sweatshirt off and drapes it over Lukas when he shivers.

"We need to get you some clothes," Philip says.

"Hide me behind the dumpster over there," Lukas slurs, pointing to his left.

"I'm not leaving you alone."

"Philip, go buy me some clothes. I'll be fine. He's unconscious."

Philip hesitates before nodding. He moves the wheelchair to behind the dumpster, kisses the top of Lukas' head, and runs across the street. He buys a pack of underwear, jeans, sweatpants, a couple t-shirts, three sweatshirts, two giant blankets, and two backpacks. He uses a credit card Gabe gave him and thanks the cashier before returning to Lukas. He helps Lukas change, throws the gown away, and puts him back in the wheelchair before trying to hail a taxi. After a couple minutes, one pulls up. He helps Lukas into the backseat while the driver puts the wheelchair and their bags in the trunk.

"Where are you off to?" the driver asks once they're all in the taxi.

"Poughkeepsie," Philip states while buckling them both in.

The drive is mostly silent, just a pain-filled moan here and there from Lukas. The driver looks at them a couple times, but Philip tells him he's still getting over a surgery. He's not lying, exactly. He's just leaving out that the surgery was three days ago, and that he woke up this evening. The driver doesn't need to know that.

Philip holds Lukas' hand the whole time, his thumb moving back and forth in a caressing motion. His heart races at the thought of the agent tracking them. In a panic, he pulls out his phone and texts Helen.

_Trust no one._

He turns his phone off and shoves it back into his pocket. How could this have happened? An FBI agent, of all people? Why would he kill all those people? Is killing another kid really worth it? Thinking about it all makes his stomach twist. He can't use his credit or debit cards, but he doesn't have any money on him. Where will they even stay once they get to Poughkeepsie? He pulls his wallet out and finds a few twenties. Right, he took money out to buy whatever food Lukas wanted in case he woke up. Philip didn't know how much he'd want, so he panicked and took out a lot. Guess that's what happens when you love somebody.

Philip hands his credit card over when the taxi pulls up to the cheapest motel. He helps Lukas into his wheelchair, grabs their bag, and heads to the office. The lady gives him a key to a ground-floor room when he hands over the money he has. Lukas groans as Philip rushes them to their room. Philip uses all the locks on the door, closes the blinds, and helps Lukas onto the bed. Lukas whacks at his own chest, so Philip pulls his shirt up.

"Didn't realize I was so hot," Lukas jokes.

"I'm checking the stitches, dumbass. I don't need to wake up to you dead in bed because you bled out," Philip snaps.

Lukas sighs. "Sorry. I'm just trying to make light of the situation."

"You can't make jokes when we're  _running from the FBI._ "

"Hey." Lukas places a hand on Philip's cheek. "I'm sorry, okay? Let's just go to bed."

Philip nods before grabbing the blankets from one of the bags. He throws one over Lukas, tucking it around his body. Then, he turns the light off and lies on the cheap couch. Lukas makes a sound, which makes Philip sit up in a panic.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"Why aren't you over here?" Lukas asks.

Philip sighs with relief. "You scared me. I'm sleeping on the couch because I don't want to hurt you by accident while we're asleep."

"Oh, okay. Goodnight, Philip."

"Goodnight, Lukas."

* * *

Philip wakes up before Lukas, his heart racing. He had a nightmare, one that seemed all too real. The FBI agent found them and made Philip kill Lukas. Then, while he held Lukas and sobbed, the agent killed him.

"Philip," Lukas mumbles.

He looks over and curses when he sees the blood on his chest. God, he should've stayed up to make sure nothing happened. He rushes over and checks the stitches. A few came undone. He takes his shirt off and presses it to the wound, making Lukas groan in pain.

"Try to keep pressure on it. I'll be right back," Philip says as he grabs his wallet.

Lukas grabs his wrist, making him stop. "Please don't leave. What if he finds us?"

"I'll be fifteen minutes, tops." Philip kisses his forehead and says, "Keep pressure on it."

He races to the convenience store that's across the street and grabs a first-aid kit, extra tape and bandages, rubbing alcohol, and a sewing kit. He hands over the rest of his bills and heads back to the motel. He locks the door and cleans the wound, making Lukas hiss at the contact. Then, he connects thread to the needle from the sewing kit, cleans the needle, and tells Lukas, "This is going to hurt," before starting to stitch up the wound. Lukas twitches each time the needles pierces his skin, but he stays quiet.

"How'd you learn how to do that?" Lukas asks while Philip dresses the wound.

"When you live the way I did, you learn how to take care of things without spending a lot of money," Philip replies. "Come on, we should get going."

"Why can't we just stay here for another day?" the blonde questions.

"That agent can track where the taxi dropped us off. We need to keep moving until he's caught."

He packs everything up and helps Lukas into the wheelchair before heading to the office to drop off the keys. Then, they're walking down the street. Lukas looks at him a couple times, his face unreadable. Philip then spots a library and goes inside. He finds a computer and looks searches for what seems like forever until he finds what he's looking for. He opens a website that sends texts, links the photo, and sends it to Helen before signing off.

_This is the man from the cabin._

He has no idea how long they walk, but when it gets dark, he settles them under a bridge and attempts to camouflage them in the shadows. He lies one blanket down, makes a couple pillows out of their old clothing, dresses them in sweatshirts, and lays the other blanket on top of them. Lukas groans as he lies down, but the stitches haven't torn, so that's a good sign. He looks at Philip and asks, "What are we going to do?"

Philip sighs and says, "I don't know."

Lukas takes Philip's hand, half asleep, and manages to fall asleep without much complaint about the wound. Philip stays awake in case anybody walks or drives by. At some point, Lukas moves over and rests his head on Philip's chest. Philip wraps his arm around him, hoping they get to lie in this position in the future, hopefully after the killer is either in jail or dead.

All Philip wants is for Lukas to stay safe, even if it means putting himself in harm's way. He's always put others before himself, and this is no different. Lukas has so much more going for him, and Philip would do anything to make sure Lukas never got hurt.

God, he should've listened to Lukas and kept his mouth shut. He should've kept his distance from Lukas, let him live his life how he wanted to. Wherever he goes, something bad happens. He should've asked to be relocated as soon as Lukas told him that their—their  _whatever_ had to be kept a secret. There's so many things he's done wrong since arriving in Tivoli; if they ever make it back, he should call social services.

He doesn't even notice the sun has risen until Lukas wakes up, groaning in pain. He checks the wound, but it seems okay. He asks Lukas if he thinks they should go to the hospital, but Lukas shakes his head.

"The pain medication is completely out of my system. I can manage, though," he says with a wince as he sits up.

"Are you sure? I'm sure we could find a hospital, and I could call Helen—"

" _No._ " Lukas looks down, embarrassed. "Sorry. I'm just worried he'll find us there."

Philip nods. "Okay. Wanna go find some food?"

"Hell yeah. I'm starving."

They pack up and find a diner a couple streets down, a TV on in the corner. Philip keeps his eyes on it as the news is reported. They don't mention them or the agent, but if Helen takes his text seriously—which he hopes she does—then they wouldn't want that information out there. That agent would definitely kill somebody else. Enough people have died.

Lukas kicks him lightly in the shin, a grin on his face as he chews on his pancakes. Philip smiles back weakly, which makes Lukas frown, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he takes Philip's hand and caresses his knuckles with his thumb.

"You're not scared anyone will see?" Philip asks, smiling.

"Right now, people knowing I like you the way I do is the least of my worries. Besides," he says, "it makes you smile, and I like looking at your smile."

Blushing, Philip ducks his head. Where is all of this coming from? Could this be Lukas getting all his feelings out in case they get caught? What if he's telling Philip this because it's what Philip's wanted to hear? That last thought makes Philip pull his hand away. Again, Lukas frowns but doesn't say anything.

After breakfast, Philip continues their trip to wherever they'll end up that night. They're stared at, but he doesn't care; he just wants them to get as far away from Tivoli and the agent as possible. Lukas stays quiet, staring straight ahead. Philip feels the tension between them, but he doesn't know how to get rid of it. It feels like the cabin all over again, when Philip tried kissing Lukas for the first time. Lukas kept trying to talk to him, but Philip wanted nothing to do with it. He was embarrassed and felt so stupid, believing the guy he liked actually liked him back. That kind of town didn't welcome people like Philip with open arms. No, they made him know he was an outcast. They pushed him around in the hallways. They even beat him to cover up the fact that they might like him back.

They find another motel to stay in, mostly because they need to shower. Well, Philip needs to shower; Lukas has to take a bath. Philip buys bubble bath soap to make Lukas laugh. It works, which makes Philip's heart flutter. He fills the tub, adding the soap about halfway through. He helps Lukas undress, making sure not to stare. Once Lukas is settled in the tub, Philip turns to leave the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Lukas asks.

"The bedroom?"

"Join me."

Philip stares. "What?"

"Join me," Lukas repeats. "We'll save water."

Philip nods slowly before undressing. He hesitates before taking his boxers off. Lukas scoots forward enough to let Philip sit behind him before leaning back. Philip wraps his arms around Lukas, making sure to steer clear of the gunshot wound. Lukas plays with the bubbles a little, making a beard for himself. He turns to Philip and purses his lips, saying, "Give Santa a kiss."

Philip laughs. "No way."

"Not even one?"

He looks down and sighs. "What are you doing?"

Lukas asks, "What do you mean?"

Philip wipes the beard off, making Lukas squawk. "I mean, what's will all the cheesy shit? You never act like this."

The blonde shrugs. "I just want us to have the relationship I wish we had in case he finds us. I don't want us to die without you knowing that this is how I want to treat you."

"What happens if they catch him?" the brunet questions.

"We'll figure it out."

* * *

 It's in the middle of the night when a familiar Jeep pulls up about twenty feet away. Helen and another woman get out, their flashlights roaming around before they land on the two teenagers. They run over, looking relieved. He squints and shields his eyes from it. It's been almost two weeks, and they've had to sleep on the streets more than in beds. Right now, they're lying under another bridge.

"Philip?" Helen says quietly. "Philip, we caught him."

He finally sees her face and sighs with relief. Kamilah's a few feet away, on the phone as she tries to get an ambulance. Lukas starts to wake up, his face abnormally pale. Philip cups his face and feels how cold his skin is.

"Lukas, are you okay?" he asks.

"So...cold..."

Philip lifts the blanket and sees the blood. He shouts to Kamilah that the ambulance needs to get there faster. She nods and starts giving orders. He presses on the wound, hoping the bleeding will slow down enough. God, it's just like at the water when Lukas got shot. Philip's scared Lukas won't make it this time.

Two ambulances pull up, confusing Philip. When one pair of paramedics start tending to Lukas, he looks at the other. They have their gurney ready, as if they're expecting him to lie on it. He looks at Helen, who says, "You've been living on the street for two weeks, Philip. You need to go to the hospital and get checked out."

"I'm fine," he states.

"We're not arguing about this. You're going to the hospital."

"Hey," Kamilah says, "I'll make sure you and Lukas are in the same room."

He hesitates before nodding and thanking her while climbing onto the gurney. They lift him into the ambulance and make sure Lukas is in his own before they all leave. When they're at the hospital running through the hallways, Philip watches as doctors and nurses crowd around Lukas, bringing him to a different area of the hospital than the one they lead Philip to. The doctor checks him out before declaring that Philip's exhausted, dehydrated, and in need of a good meal. Kamilah goes out to get food, leaving Helen and Philip alone in his hospital room.

"Gabe and I are glad you're okay," Helen says as she sits in the chair next to his bed.

"How'd you find us?" he asks.

"You must've turned your phone on while you were asleep," she says. "We caught him around noon, so there was no way of him tracking you."

"How did he not find me? I kept using the credit card Gabe gave me," he states.

"Well, he didn't know you had that. You're lucky the money you spent was for essentials, or else we would've had you pay us back," she jokes. "I'm just glad you two are okay."

He sighs and rubs his face. "We won't know if Lukas is okay until after the surgery. Do you mind if I just rest for a while?"

She smiles and presses a kiss to the top of his head. "Of course. I should call Gabe, let him know we found you two."

He lies back, looking at the ceiling. What if Lukas doesn't make it out of the operating room? He can't die. Philip wouldn't be able to function without him. He's already lost so many people; he can't lose Lukas. All that running for nothing.

_Except it wasn't for nothing. You got to be with him for two more weeks._

But was is worth it? They were runaways, terrified of every corner they turned. They slept on the streets, afraid they were going to be caught or attacked. Philip was scared he would wake up and Lukas wouldn't. God, why didn't Philip just come forward earlier? It would've been a lot easier to catch the guy.

_Lukas didn't want you to, and you would do anything for him._

If Philip came forward, they would've been  _safe._

_He would've never forgiven you. He would still be with Rose. You would be all alone again._

He doesn't know how long he lies there, going back and forth in his head, but a bed is suddenly wheeled in. He looks over and finds Lukas, unconscious like the first time Philip saw him in the hospital. The nurses plug a couple machines in before pushing the bed right next to Philip. He gives them a questioning look.

"The agent told us what happened when she told us to bring him in here. Figured you'd want to be close," one of them says, a smile on her face. "Call me when he wakes up, okay? He should be in around nine or ten."

"If he's not?" Philip asks.

"Yeah, call me either way. Sleep tight."

Philip turns on his side, careful not to pull out the IV, and reaches over. He grabs Lukas' hand and caresses his knuckles like he's done so many times these past two weeks. His eyes stay on Lukas. Lukas' face is finally relaxed, not a single sign of stress that Philip can find. His hair his pushed away from his face. His skin is paler than usual, but that's most likely from the blood loss. Philip pulls his hand away to scratch his cheek, but Lukas' brows draw together when they're not touching. Philip takes his hand again, using his shoulder to get rid of the itch, instead.

He must've fallen asleep, because he opens his eyes to the room lighter from the sun and Lukas staring at him with a small smile on his face. Philip smiles back and presses the nurse button before turning his attention back to the blonde.

"How do you feel?" he asks.

"Hurts, but probably not as much as it would without the pain meds. What about you?"

"Well, I finally got a good night's sleep next to this guy I'm pretty crazy about, so I guess you could say I'm okay," he jokes.

Lukas looks like he's about to ask something when the nurse comes in, a smile on her face when she sees that he's awake. However, they don't stop looking at each other while she runs a few tests, except for the eye test with the flashlight. She leaves, saying something about the doctor, but they're not paying attention.

"You know," Philip says before swallowing around the lump in his throat, "you really scared me out there."

"I'm okay, Philip, and it's all because of you. You kept me safe, fixed my stitches, and made sure I was comfortable," Lukas tells him. "You put yourself before me."

"I always have," Philip admits.

"What did you mean by 'finally getting a good night's sleep,' by the way?"

He looks away, licking his lips. The touch of fingertips against his cheek makes him look back at Lukas. "I haven't slept since we left the first motel."

"What? Why?" Lukas asks, his eyes wide.

"I had to make sure that we were safe, that  _you_ were safe. Staying awake meant I could react if anybody approached us, if your stitches got torn again. I wasn't going to lose you so easily," Philip explains.

"You really did all of that?" the blonde questions.

"Of course I did."

Lukas smiles to himself and looks at the ceiling. "Philip, does your stomach hurt?"

"I haven't really eaten in a while. Kamilah was supposed to come back with food. Why?"

"No, does your stomach hurt?"

"I just told—oh."

The blonde looks at him with a grin on his face. "Yeah. Oh."

He shrugs and says, "Always."

Kamilah then walks in, a pizza box in her hand. "You're lucky we're near the city. Helen said the thing you miss most besides your mother is the pizza."

Philip smiles and takes the box. "Thanks, Kamilah. You didn't have to go to the city, though."

"After what you two have gone through? Yeah, I did. Share some with your boyfriend, though."

"Yeah, Philip. Share some with your boyfriend," Lukas jokes as she leaves.

"Didn't know I had one," the brunet mutters. "Do you want a slice?"

Lukas frowns slightly before saying, "Sure."

Between the two of them, they finish the box. Philip places it on the table next to his bed and settles into the pillows, still feeling exhausted. He stares out the window and watches planes and helicopters fly by. Lukas moves around behind him, probably trying to get comfortable.

"Philip, look at me."

Philip sighs and turns over. Lukas is sitting up, obviously in pain. "Lukas, lie back."

"Not until I get this out." He lets out a deep breath, his hands shaking a little. "You give me the worst stomach ache, idiot. I've been trying to tell you these past three weeks, between breaking up with Rose and taking your hand in public. Damn it, Philip, we shared a bubble bath. No sex! Just bathing and making facial hair and hats out of the bubbles you bought to make me laugh. I didn't even try to do anything; I just wanted to spend time with you."

"Yeah, but—"

"Please, let me finish." Philip shuts his mouth. "At first, it was just fooling around, but then I got to know you. I heard you giggle, watched you smile more, and I started to fall  _hard_. I didn't think I could feel that way with anybody, let alone a guy. You changed everything, and I thought it was a bad thing at first. I grew up a lot, and it was for the better." He reaches over and takes Philip's hand. "You made me realize it was okay to like you, that what matters is what I think of it. I'm not scared anymore, Philip. I'm not scared to love you."

Philip swallows and says, "Again, with the cheesy shit."

That makes Lukas laugh.

 


End file.
